Curtis Jones impressed as Liverpool beat Lincoln in the Carabao Cup.
Liverpool’s future is in safe hands as teenagers Jones, Neco Williams, Rhys Williams and Harvey Elliott showed why Jurgen Klopp rates them so highly as the Reds eased past their League One opposition.
Klopp picked a team that included a good mix of youth and experience as several fringe players got their chance to impress.
Xherdan Shaqiri started his first game since December 18 2019, while Kostas Tsimikas was handed his full debut as he lined up alongside Virgil van Dijk. Takumi Minamino, Adrian and Divock Origi were all given their chance to impress.
Despite the wealth of riches at Klopp’s disposal, it was Jones who stood out. He is a player with brilliant talent, strong technique and great composure – it’s easy to forget he’s just 19!
Jones was in the mood to make his presence felt. The young Scouser was adamant about giving Klopp a headache for the rest of the Premier League season and he scored a stunning brace, the second of which was phenomenal.
All you need to do is have the courage to dream, then believe in your dreams and the rest is hard work! Jones seems to be a player doing just that.
I may be jumping the gun, but have we finally replaced Steven Gerrard? Jones is a local lad with an eye for goal, who oozes confidence, and seems hungrier than ever.
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The Academy graduate has a strong right foot and has the ability to make a cheeky pass. And if you scroll through history pages, Gerrard also wore the #17 jersey early on in his career.
It was Jones who was fouled on the edge of the box, winning the free-kick that Shaqiri ended up scoring from a tight angle in the eighth minute.
After that, there were a few moments of brilliance which saw Curtis Jones make a couple of cross-field pass 40-yard passes. He was confident during the link-up play and kept possession of the ball very well.
When he got his chance in front of goal, a witty switch of the feet saw him bring the ball onto this preferred right foot. The 19-year-old took a moment to settle himself before latching onto a shot which he scored in the 31st minute. It was a wonderful curling finessed shot from the right-hand side of the box into the far corner.
A couple of minutes later, he made a brilliant turn to create a bit of space down the left channel. With another finesse shot from outside the box, he scored his second of the night. The ball went flying into the top right corner after taking a deflection.
Jones looked assured on the ball and very comfortable switching play or making short passes to help those around him make meaningful runs into space.
The youngster has a lot to learn but shows great promise. The times ahead are exciting.
We can be sure that he will end up with over 20 appearances this season and if he keeps head down and learns as much as he can from the senior players, we are assured that he will be a constant name on the team sheet for Liverpool not too far in the future.